Our Experience With Shopworks Onsite 8.3

[Homer]

bitter? yeah I could see that....

I've spent months going over everything I could get my hands on...trials for days....I hate them all 

Printavo had the most promise but we can't have separate price structures on one invoice. So billing for vehicle graphics and t's on the same invoice is a no go, we can do it on separate invoices but that's just not going to work. So nuts to that program.

EstiMate was made with windows 95.

Graphix Calc - work flow was all whacky

T-quoter is old...too many issues to deal with

Price-it doesn't offer anything for the sign department.

Teecal was cumbersome and too many steps to get to the price.

Fast manager - nope

there were a few others I tried, can't think of them at the moment...

...and then there was ShopVox.....ready to smack your computer with your keyboard? Do you like taking the space shuttle to get your mail? download the trial today!

I can not possibly be the only guy offering screen printing, embroidery signage, vehicle graphics and promo stuff. That's like our entire industry....Printavo may have it in the next few years but until then....I'll keep banging my face on the screen

[ericheartsu]

Printavo had the most promise but we can't have separate price structures on one invoice. So billing for vehicle graphics and t's on the same invoice is a no go, we can do it on separate invoices but that's just not going to work. So nuts to that program.

Really? that seems weird. We don't use the pricing calculator, but when we did, we could pull from different price charts.

[mk162]

bitter? yeah I could see that....

I've spent months going over everything I could get my hands on...trials for days....I hate them all 

Printavo had the most promise but we can't have separate price structures on one invoice. So billing for vehicle graphics and t's on the same invoice is a no go, we can do it on separate invoices but that's just not going to work. So nuts to that program.

EstiMate was made with windows 95.

Graphix Calc - work flow was all whacky

T-quoter is old...too many issues to deal with

Price-it doesn't offer anything for the sign department.

Teecal was cumbersome and too many steps to get to the price.

Fast manager - nope

there were a few others I tried, can't think of them at the moment...

...and then there was ShopVox.....ready to smack your computer with your keyboard? Do you like taking the space shuttle to get your mail? download the trial today!

I can not possibly be the only guy offering screen printing, embroidery signage, vehicle graphics and promo stuff. That's like our entire industry....Printavo may have it in the next few years but until then....I'll keep banging my face on the screen

We were working on our own for a while, but it kind of died.  I am talking to the "architect" again and I've added a couple more to the team.  I think we have a decent shot at something that is simple, yet easy to use and can keep track of everything.  Printavo looked the best, but the deeper I dig, the more stuff really makes no sense.

[ericheartsu]

All of these software systems are being built by developers that have a little bit of a background in printing.

Stokkup looks really promising, but it's very very strict. you have to work exactly like the shop that built it, in order for it to function. I'm working really hard with them, to break that.

Printavo has a bunch of updates coming out, but i feel they aren't really production driven.

[LuckyFlyinROUSH]

We settled on Printavo a couple months ago. The only thing that really irritates me is the quickbooks sync to Quickbooks Online only. We used to have Quickbook Enterprise...which was much more robust than the puny Online version. It constantly has syncing errors.

They need to add a bigger picture of the art proof to the Work Order.

Other than that it's really nice for the production side.

[trebor]

Whoa, this guy went full out on his review and page, truly not playing games with this I see.

I still use Fast Manager, it's buggy and not perfect but it does work for me. I was sure Printavo would be better for me but it wasn't. I haven't tried any of the others yet as each time I look into one there is a glaring reason not to.

We have used Fast Manager almost since the turn of the century.

[ericheartsu]

We settled on Printavo a couple months ago. The only thing that really irritates me is the quickbooks sync to Quickbooks Online only. We used to have Quickbook Enterprise...which was much more robust than the puny Online version. It constantly has syncing errors.

They need to add a bigger picture of the art proof to the Work Order.

Other than that it's really nice for the production side.

I'm curious how your production team is using it. IMO, the production aspect is lacking big time.

[mk162]

All of these software systems are being built by developers that have a little bit of a background in printing.

Stokkup looks really promising, but it's very very strict. you have to work exactly like the shop that built it, in order for it to function. I'm working really hard with them, to break that.

Printavo has a bunch of updates coming out, but i feel they aren't really production driven.

I disagree, I watched a few videos on Stokkup and ended up just shaking my head.

Flexibility is key.  If there is one constant theme of this forum it's that everybody does things a different way and still ends up getting the job done.  Also, what a lot of these programs overlook is one simple factor.  Information is hands down the most important part of this industry.  If a customer orders polos 3 years ago and needs to reorder them, the order should be saved with every piece of info needed to re-run that job and have it turn out the exact same.

When I go into a fast food restaurant I expect the food to be the same whether I am at the store down the street or the store across the country.  Our customers expect the same, they want the same exact order they placed years ago to be exactly the same.

Most programs overlook this.  I think it's a central piece to the whole system.

I am working on assembling my team to see what we can do.  We'll see if it goes anywhere...it may just end up like The Vindicators from Rick and Morty

[Dragonfly]

Been using PriceIt since 2006. It is a bit manual when it comes to signs and promo stuff but my people work through it. We have it on 12 computers through the shop and I cant imagine being with out it at this point. I think programs like this require a real committment by the user to make it work. Not sure the perfect solution exists yet but PriceIt is constantly upgrading their software.

[dirkdiggler]

I used Shopworks for 14 years, FILEMAKER is the problem!  I agree with most of what he said.  Support I would imagine is getting worse as they sign up new customers.  I left Shopworks in the dust 7 years ago and never looked back!  My opinion, some people love it and I may would revisit it down the road if it ever gets a new platform.

[ericheartsu]

All of these software systems are being built by developers that have a little bit of a background in printing.

Stokkup looks really promising, but it's very very strict. you have to work exactly like the shop that built it, in order for it to function. I'm working really hard with them, to break that.

Printavo has a bunch of updates coming out, but i feel they aren't really production driven.

I disagree, I watched a few videos on Stokkup and ended up just shaking my head.

Flexibility is key.  If there is one constant theme of this forum it's that everybody does things a different way and still ends up getting the job done.  Also, what a lot of these programs overlook is one simple factor.  Information is hands down the most important part of this industry.  If a customer orders polos 3 years ago and needs to reorder them, the order should be saved with every piece of info needed to re-run that job and have it turn out the exact same.

When I go into a fast food restaurant I expect the food to be the same whether I am at the store down the street or the store across the country.  Our customers expect the same, they want the same exact order they placed years ago to be exactly the same.

Most programs overlook this.  I think it's a central piece to the whole system.

I am working on assembling my team to see what we can do.  We'll see if it goes anywhere...it may just end up like The Vindicators from Rick and Morty

Right...that's what I was saying. It's to strict, and NOT flexible. I'm working with them on fixing this.

[mk162]

Sorry, I wasn't too clear.  I don't think it looks promising, unless they can rework the entire order entry system.  I don't like the approach of most of these programs in regards to how they treat invoices vs. individual jobs.

[Printwizard]

All of these software systems are being built by developers that have a little bit of a background in printing.

Stokkup looks really promising, but it's very very strict. you have to work exactly like the shop that built it, in order for it to function. I'm working really hard with them, to break that.

Printavo has a bunch of updates coming out, but i feel they aren't really production driven.

I disagree, I watched a few videos on Stokkup and ended up just shaking my head.

Flexibility is key.  If there is one constant theme of this forum it's that everybody does things a different way and still ends up getting the job done.  Also, what a lot of these programs overlook is one simple factor.  Information is hands down the most important part of this industry.  If a customer orders polos 3 years ago and needs to reorder them, the order should be saved with every piece of info needed to re-run that job and have it turn out the exact same.

When I go into a fast food restaurant I expect the food to be the same whether I am at the store down the street or the store across the country.  Our customers expect the same, they want the same exact order they placed years ago to be exactly the same.

Most programs overlook this.  I think it's a central piece to the whole system.

I am working on assembling my team to see what we can do.  We'll see if it goes anywhere...it may just end up like The Vindicators from Rick and Morty

What if a bunch of shops built a check list for a platform that was flexible, workable, managed jobs, held information.  I would put $5k in towards.  There must be 100 plus companies here struggling.  Big systems trying to clumsily re-invent accounting packages or CRM platforms and creating huge platforms - not streamlining the information process.  I dont need Email Marketing, I have Mailchimp, I dont need accounting - I have Xero, I dont want to be inputting 300 pieces of information that may not be required.  I kind of like some of the parts of wheresmyjob.com - it works for me as a contract decorator that vendors could self populate job sheets to a point, search and manage their own artworks, see where their jobs are at in the schedule.  But its too small and lacks a lot also, but it does do scheduling and production management.  There is room for coding something that is decorator driven and selling it in a modular system according to requirements.  That you can turn off or purchase functionality.  Why sync into a secondrate or light accounting package if you have a good package, or crm or email platform....  Why re-invent existing wheels and not cover other basic functions...

[merchmonster]

bitter? yeah I could see that....

I've spent months going over everything I could get my hands on...trials for days....I hate them all 

Printavo had the most promise but we can't have separate price structures on one invoice. So billing for vehicle graphics and t's on the same invoice is a no go, we can do it on separate invoices but that's just not going to work. So nuts to that program.

EstiMate was made with windows 95.

Graphix Calc - work flow was all whacky

T-quoter is old...too many issues to deal with

Price-it doesn't offer anything for the sign department.

Teecal was cumbersome and too many steps to get to the price.

Fast manager - nope

there were a few others I tried, can't think of them at the moment...

...and then there was ShopVox.....ready to smack your computer with your keyboard? Do you like taking the space shuttle to get your mail? download the trial today!

I can not possibly be the only guy offering screen printing, embroidery signage, vehicle graphics and promo stuff. That's like our entire industry....Printavo may have it in the next few years but until then....I'll keep banging my face on the screen

We had to build a workaround in printavo for multiple jobs on same invoice. We just have master invoice status & throw 1 line item per job there. Then I create a Child invoice that is work order for each specific job. Sometimes production does get confused if a job is paid because only 1 invoice reflects the payment usually master.

[Mystery]

Is anyone using Deconetwork?